This Was Television On January 25

1980: BET goes on the air

Founded by former cable industry lobbyist Robert Johnson, Black Entertainment Television launched as a programming bloc on another relatively young cable channel, Nickelodeon. The line-up began as a mix of music videos and syndicated repeats, with the mission of targeting primarily African-American audiences and featuring African-American talent. By 1983, BET had established a full foothold on cable, soon creating original news, variety, and scripted programming. Now a Viacom-owned network and ubiquitous on American cable systems, BET expanded its brand with several off-shoot channels in the late 2000s. -A.D.

Also on January 25:

1949: The first Emmy Awards are presented, in a ceremony at the Hollywood Athletic Club. The first awards given out by the nascent Academy of Television Arts & Sciences focused exclusively on programming produced and aired in the Los Angeles market.